It’s been well-documented that direct-to-consumer (DTC) and subscription services are changing the way consumers shop. Businesses from car companies to toy manufacturers are angling for innovative ways to tap into the growing subscription sales model. A significant chapter in the DTC story is the rise of subscription boxes, and one of the success stories in this sector includes PMS and period boxes.

Creating Authentic Connections May Be An Effective Strategy For Period Boxes

Period boxes, almost all developed by women-led companies, are customizable and personal. Their products, usually tampons, pads and small extras, are necessary, and their brands have helped create conversation around what some consider taboo subjects. One of the popular brand leaders in period boxes is LOLA. A recent TechCrunch article noted, “Where LOLA may have some leverage, however, is encouraging more open discussions about female reproductive health, and engaging its customers through social media. The startup touts six times the number of Instagram followers compared with mainstream brands.”

Marketers know Millennials and younger generations like brands that align with their beliefs and create personal, authentic connections. Period boxes are likely resonating with those buyers by creating relationships, while offering convenience and meeting a demand.

Customized, Fun And Easy To Order Exemplifies What Makes Many Period Boxes Appealing To Consumers

Women need feminine hygiene products, and they need them every month. But the consumers buying feminine hygiene products include a mix of age groups with personal preferences and different interests in style, substance and cost — all of which creates customization and brand loyalty opportunities. Some of the following period boxes share common approaches to moving their products, while also offering their own specialty items and branding.

Femly Box Was Founded By An Entrepreneur Interested In Safe, Organic Products

Femly was launched in 2016 by Baltimore entrepreneur Arion Long after she experienced health issues that led her to investigate the benefits of 100% organic feminine hygiene products. Femly’s products are all 100% organic cotton. Providing subscription-based products consumers can feel good about using, because it’s organic, woman-owned or gives back to the community is a common motivator for the founders of period boxes.

Blume Provides Empowering And Positive Messaging For Young Women And Teens

Blume is a fairly straightforward option. Pick the Blume-branded items that work the best, maybe throw in a few extra goodies, and the subscription is set. In addition to subscriptions, Blume also sells their branded products in their online store for individual sale. The company messaging is about empowering women and skews toward teenagers and younger women, creating a niche within a niche. Betty in the U.K. is also geared toward teens, offering advice, articles and pro-period real talk.

LOLAIs A Leader In The Period Box Marketplace Recently Securing A Significant Investment

One of the more well-known leaders in the period box business, LOLA’s ads blanket social media, and their product branding and marketing is chic and unfussy. LOLA recently raised an additional $24 million in funding, and they’ve partnered with three different charities to donate 100,000 feminine hygiene products to women in need across the country.

KaliCurates A Special Box For Teens And Works With Girl-Focused Charities

Kali is one of the menstrual subscription programs that has a curated box specifically for teens. The box can be customized to suit the needs or comfort of the girl in mind, and it also comes with a cute surprise, like a make-up tote or wellness gift. Kali partnered with Girl Up, the United Nations Foundation´s adolescent girl campaign, donating a portion of their sales from the teen boxes to the initiative.

Not every box is just feminine hygiene products. RWPP partners with other brands to bring a full-service box that includes craveable snacks, fun surprise gifts, two pairs of underwear each month and tampons and pads. These are sometimes called PMS boxes. A quick customer survey allows RWPP to ascertain what the subscriber might like, including the delivery frequency and size of box.

Women are powerful and influential consumers and entrepreneurs. They are staking a claim in the start-up world, offering choice and purchasing decisions that may not be readily available in the traditional retail space. Period box subscriptions are one of many ways the female entrepreneur influence is being exercised, and the future of this disruptive business model will depend on scaling interest and product growth moving forward.

Reimagining Your Subscription Marketing Win?

About the Author

With more than 20 years of writing, editing and reporting experience, Sarah Cavill brings to Digital Media Solutions (DMS) a fine-tuned and diverse set of skills. Her work has been featured in notable publications including The Daily Muse, CBS Local, Techlicious and Glamour magazine. Sarah has a passion for current events and the deep-dive research that goes into the content development and brand identity of DMS Insights. In her role as Senior Marketing Communications Writer, Sarah contributes to the pitching, researching and writing of multiple stories published each week surrounding digital and performance marketing innovations in pop culture, news, social media, branding and advertising.